1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to treatment of waste materials for disposal. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved chamber for treating cellulose-containing wastes within a rotating chamber, with steam under pressure, the configuration of the chamber providing for even distribution of wastes within the chamber during treatment and easy removal of wastes from the chamber following treatment.
2. General Background
Treatment and disposal of wastes, such as household wastes, which include a large quantity of paper or cellulose-containing products, is an ongoing problem in our society. In a method invented by the present inventor, for which an application is presently pending, a portion of the overall method included heat treating the waste stream with steam within a pressurized chamber. The chamber would then be heated to dry the cellulose to a desired moisture content. The waste would be removed from the chamber (or autoclave) and separated into its various components.
One of the drawbacks to the system was the construction of the chambers which utilized to heat treat and dry the cellulose within the waste stream. The chamber as disclosed required that an internal cylindrical chamber be housed within an external chamber and receive the wastes via a conveyor belt through a side door at the end of the chamber. The inner chamber would then be rotated, with steam being injected under pressure. Any moisture in the steam-treated wastes would then be removed via a vacuum, and the wastes would again be transported out of the chamber via the conveyor to be separated into the requisite components.
Although this type of heating chamber did provide a pulp product which had been sufficiently exposed to steam heat and subsequently dried, the chamber within a chamber concept was rather expensive and required an elaborate operation to achieve its desired results. It would be a savings in time and expense if a more efficient chamber could be developed so that the system could be improved. A search of pertinent art was undertaken and the results are outlined in the accompanying prior art statement.